Process

This WebQuest was designed to be taught as part of a large unit on Marketing and Advertising. At our middle school, students can take a 20-week Marketing and Desktop Publishing elective class. In this class they spend 10 weeks in the technology lab learning the ins and outs of creating/inventing their own products. The remaining 10 weeks are spent in the computer lab where they will be learning about creating the advertising elements that go along with trying to sell a product.

This Advertising WebQuest was created ideally to be used during a computer class where every student has access to a computer each day for a 6-10 week period of time.

Teachers will need to be sure that students are familiar with desktop publishing programs such as Paint, MS Word, MS Publisher, HyperStudio, MS PowerPoint, Web Editors, etc. In addition, students should have a good grasp of using the many functions of each program.

Teachers should also take time with students before the WebQuest begins to look at various types of print advertising and how ads differ between products. Elements necessary in good print advertising should also be discussed. Teachers can show a few of the more popular commercials and have students discuss the important ways that have been developed to capture a consumer's attention. Web sites for well-known and competing products (i.e. Pepsi, Coke) can be reviewed for their essential design elements and ways of reaching their audience. Students should be familiar with using search engines and keyword searches for finding additional information on a topic.

A sample introductory activity might be to have students make their own presonal logos and letterhead that in some way reflect who they are.

After students have a good grasp of the necessary elements in advertising, and have had time to look at many different types of advertising, the WebQuest can begin.

Teachers can group students into threes in a variety of ways; by ability levels, strengths for each of the jobs, or randomly.

This WebQuest is designed to last from 4-6 weeks with at least one period a day in the computer lab. Students will need this amount of time to look at resources and complete the full WebQuest. However, the WebQuest is broken down into phases, so teachers who have less time either in the computer lab or with students on a weekly basis can assign only certain phases for the teams to complete. The final phase should always remain a part of any shortened WebQuest because it is the forum where students will tie all of their work together within their advertising portfolio and then must present or "sell" it.

**Note - The hope is to have students marketing aand advertising products they have created themselves in a marketing (or other similar) course and having these products become part of the Above and Beyond product line. The products from the Above and Beyond product line included in the link are just wacky examples to be used if students have no items of their own.